Paleo Salted Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies

I'm really picky about my chocolate chip cookies. They have to be crispy, yet still chewy and soft in the center. You want a certain amount of crunch and chewiness at the same time. I like them pretty thin, and not the slightest bit cakey.

Now that's hard to come by for a "healthier" cookie. But I think I found a winner.

These cookies are RIDICULOUSLY good and guilt-free. Full of almonds, dark chocolate, ghee, and flax, you're literally nourishing yourself with every bite! Well, almost. There's also some sugar in there, but at least you can feel good about eating these kind of cookies.

I adapted this recipe I came across and these really are the best paleo cookies I've made to date. And what better day to make cookies than on National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day!

Ingredients: (makes 8 large, 5 inch cookies)

1 cup blanched almond meal
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1/4 tsp pink salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup creamy almond butter (I used Trader Joe's raw almond butter)
1/2 cup packed coconut sugar
1 tbsp pure maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup ghee (melted and cooled)
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed meal
3 tablespoons water
3 oz of dark chocolate, chopped (I used Eating Evolved Caramel Crunch)
flakey sea salt for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 375. In a bowl combine the flax meal and water and let sit for five minutes. In another bowl add almond flour, tapioca flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside.
Back to the flax mixture, add melted ghee, almond butter, coconut sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla and mix well, then add the dry ingredients and chopped chocolate and mix until combined.

Scoop dough into about 1 1/2-2  inch rounds and place on baking sheet, making sure cookies are at least 2 inches apart. Flatten down with fingers until its about half as thick. Sprinkle each cookie with flakey sea salt. Bake for 9-10 minutes or until cookies begin to brown slightly around the edges.

Truffled Polenta and Eggs with Kale

I make polenta all the time and I often have a small amount leftover. Rather than throwing it out, I save the leftovers for breakfast the next morning. You can make this breakfast using leftover polenta, or you can make it fresh. Either way, it's a delicious and decadent breakfast for any occasion. And why not try it out this Mother's Day and wow your family?!

I make polenta all the time and I often have a small amount leftover. Rather than throwing it out, I save the leftovers for breakfast the next morning. You can make this breakfast using leftover polenta, or you can make it fresh. Either way, it's a delicious and decadent breakfast for any occasion. And why not try it out this Mother's Day and wow your family?!

I prefer the taste of vegetable broth in my polenta, but feel free to use any kind of broth that you like. I always add a tablespoon of butter to finish it off, and a bit of organic parmesan cheese to make it extra creamy. You can easily leave the butter and the cheese out, however.


I topped mine with a drizzle of truffle oil, but it would be even more decadent with crispy prosciutto crumbled on top, if you're a meat-eater.

Ingredients: (for 6 people)

6 pasture raised eggs
6 cups of chopped kale
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
pink salt and pepper to taste
truffle oil

For the polenta:
1 cup of organic polenta
5 cups of vegetable broth
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon organic butter
1/2-1 teaspoons of pink salt to taste
1-2 tablespoons truffle oil

(Skip this step and simply reheat your polenta if you're not making it fresh )
Begin by boiling your vegetable broth, then slowly whisking in the polenta corn grits. Lower heat and let simmer for about 30 minutes, whisking frequently. After 30 minutes have passed, add butter, truffle oil, parmesan, and salt, and whisk until creamy. Set aside.

In another pan sauté the kale with olive oil on low heat, adding salt and pepper to taste. Once the kale is soft, plate the kale on top of large dollop of polenta, then set aside. Begin to fry the eggs, one to two at a time (or however many will fit in your pan) and top the kale and polenta with the fried egg. Finish with a sprinkle of pink salt and a small drizzle of truffle oil.

Maple Sea Salt Almond Milk

I often forget just how easy it is to make homemade almond milk, and how much better it is for you. Don't get me wrong, I definitely buy almond milk from the store, but it gets to be super expensive when you're going through one to two half gallons a week. You can easily buy a bag of almonds (or cashews or hazelnuts!) from Trader Joe's for about 7$, and make about three, half-gallons of almond milk. So you're saving money, plus it's not full of gums and strange ingredients, and it actually tastes better!

And here's the best part: you don't even have to let the nuts soak overnight if you don't have the time! This milk can be made in about five to ten minutes. However, you CAN soak the almonds for 12-24 hours for extra creamy almond milk and just skip the whole boiling process in the recipe below.

I also started using an Ellie's Nut Milk Bag for the first time, and let me tell you, it's a game-changer. It was so much easier to clean than the huge cheesecloth that I've been using, and it doesn't absorb the liquid like a cheesecloth does, AND it's super affordable. You can use the code "honeyandbrie" for 10% off your order.

 So without further adieu, here's the recipe for the tastiest homemade maple sea salt almond milk. Feel free to cut the water in half for a homemade coffee creamer. I hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients:

1 cup raw almonds
3 cups filtered water
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of pink himalayan sea salt
Extra filtered water for boiling

 Put almonds in a pot with about 2 cups filtered water and bring to a boil. Once the water has boiled for one minute, strain the almonds and rinse under cold water until cool. Peel the skin off the almonds by gently pinching between your fingers, and discard the skins.

Place almonds in a blender with 3 cups of filtered water and blend until smooth.

Pour the milk into a nut milk bag or cheesecloth, and squeeze as much of the milk out as possible into a clean bowl.

Add the maple syrup, vanilla, and salt to the bowl and mix, then transfer milk into pitcher of choice.